Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 14: The Government today decided to extend benefits to families of Army and para-military force personnel of Jammu and Kashmir, who attain martyrdom in the State or outside at par with the police personnel martyred in Jammu and Kashmir.
Excelsior had exclusively carried out the stories on the plight of Army and para-military personnel of J&K, martyred within the State or outside, whose families were denied any kind of benefits by the State Government including jobs to next of kin on compassionate grounds under SRO-43.
Official sources told the Excelsior that on the initiative taken by Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who holds the charge of Home Department, the Government today decided that families of all Army and para-military personnel, hailing from Jammu and Kashmir and martyred within the State or outside, will get Rs 15 lakh cash relief and a Government job under SRO-43, as is given to Jammu and Kashmir Police martyrs.
Presently, the families of martyrs of Army and para-military, hailing from J&K, were given only Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia by the State Government only if they were killed in J&K at par with civilians killed by the militants while the families of those killed outside J&K were given nothing-neither cash nor Government job.
Recently, the issue had come to limelight after being highlighted by the Excelsior after two Army jawans, hailing from Bishnah and Ramgarh, were killed in Uri attack last month. Last year, six Army jawans of J&K were killed in Manipur. However, their families were not paid any ex-gratia or given jobs under SRO-43.
However, with the new rules expected to come into force shortly after being approved by the State Government, the families of Army and para-military martyrs can heave sigh of relief.
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